Convicted Watertown Township killer back in jail on felony gun charge

A Watertown Township man once convicted of killing his mother as a juvenile is back in jail, this time facing a felony charge of possessing guns as a felon.

Christian Phillip Oberender was arrested Jan. 2 at his home on Neal Avenue, the same home where he killed his mother with a shotgun as a 14-year-old in 1995. According to the criminal complaint against Oberender, deputies found 13 guns in the home, including an assault rifle, as well as a chilling note that indicates Oberender “thinks about killing all the time.”

The complaint charges Oberender with possessing a firearm after being previously convicted of a violent crime as a juvenile. That felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, a $30,000 fine, or both. The complaint also charges Oberender with possessing a firearm after being previously committed to a treatment facility following a judicial determination that he was mentally ill and dangerous to the public. That charge, a gross misdemeanor, carries a maximum sentence of 1 year in jail, a $3,000 fine, or both.

Oberender continues to held in the Carver County jail. Bail is set at $1 million bond or $100,000 cash.

To continue reading the rest of this story, please pick up a copy of this week’s Carver County News.